On most Amazon Prime Day offers, the company sells you things. However, one deal is a bit different. The online retail giant is giving users $10 credit in return for their data (via Reuters).
Amazon Assistant Can Track You
The company offered U.S. users $10 if they signed up to the Amazon Assitant during the 48-hour shopping event. The Assistant is a comparision tool in the form of a browser extension. It tells users the Amazon price of products from other retailers. However, it collects links and some page content viewed by the user. The company said it uses the data for marketing, products, and services. However, it insists it only links browser data with a user’s account when the Amazon Assistant is in use.
A company spokeswoman defended the practice, insisting that “customer trust is paramount…and we take customer privacy very seriously.” She also noted that the company can use data collected from websites “where we may have relevant product or service recommendations,” per its privacy policy.